The most important factors in engaging boys to read is letting them have choices of literature and giving them time to read. Too often they are solely exposed to narrative texts, which research shows does not interest them fully. Boys must be allowed to choose from a variety of texts that include both fiction and non-fiction and in which the following opportunities occur:
Books that make them laugh.
Literature that contains some factual information like baseball cards, magazines, comic books or instruction manuals.
Science fiction or fantasy literature.
Books are available in which the focus is more on what the characters do and not on his or her emotions.
Once a student has chosen their material to read, they must be given ample reading time on a consistent basis. Fluency in reading is an important indicator of success. Research shows that even if the reading level is below what a student is capable of, it is important that boys need to feel they are successful regardless of the difficulty.